The Long Road
by DragonWriter0316
Summary: This is the sequel to "An Unexpected Turn." It follows Hiccup's and the Riders' journey after his rescue from Outcast Island. DO NO READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "AN UNEXPECTED TURN." CONTAINS MANY SPOILERS. Rated T for violence and PTSD episodes. Read at your own discreation.
1. The Examination

**Hey guys! Here is the first chapter of the sequel to "An Unexpected Turn." I hope you guys enjoy it and think that it was worth the wait. Now, I want to let you guys know that this chapter and the next won't have too much action. Right now, I am setting the stage for this story. So, without any further wait, here is Chapter 1!**

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Stoick and the Riders flew into Berk waters in the early afternoon of the day that they saved Hiccup. The entire ride back, no one spoke a word. They were all too worried, sparing glances whenever they could to look at Hiccup, who was being carried by Stoick, who was flying Thornado. They had elected to leave Toothless on Berk. Only Stoick and Fishlegs truly knew how to use the tail pedal, and both of them knew that neither of them would be able to effectively fly Toothless if they ended up engaged in battle.

They landed right beside the staircase that led up to Gothi's hut. Stoick ran up those stairs faster than any of them thought was possible. The Riders, however, weren't far behind him.

"Gothi! We need you!" Stoick shouted. Astrid could sense his desperation, and she assumed that Gothi did as well, with the expression on the old woman's face as she walked toward the Haddocks.

When Gothi got closer to Stoick, he angled his arms to where Gothi could see Hiccup. Her expression became even more worried. She began clearing off her table and Fishlegs, upon realizing that was what she was doing, helped her. Once the table was empty, Gothi gestured for Stoick to set Hiccup down on it. Stoick laid him down with the care and gentleness only a father could give. Gothi gestured for everyone to leave with a shooing motion. However, Stoick and Astrid stayed put.

Gothi began her examination. Astrid could tell by Gothi's movements that she was checking for injuries. While she was feeling his chest, Astrid could see her shake her head. Oh no, Astrid thought, his ribs must really be hurt. After she finished checking Hiccup's arms and leg, she turned around and gestured for Stoick to flip him over. Astrid could see the worry in Gothi's face grow as Stoick turned his son over. Astrid gasped when she saw his back. His shirt was practically shredded. There were at least five gaping wounds that could only be from a whip. Granted, Astrid had known that Hiccup's back wasn't in the greatest of conditions, but due to the low light of the Outcast Prison, she hadn't been able to see the full extent of his injuries. On top of his back injuries, there was a large bump on the back of his head, with dried blood in his hair that surrounded the injury.

Gothi walked over to the corner of her hut. She retrieved a bucket of water, a pair of scissors, and a handful of clean cloths. When she got back to where Hiccup was lying down, she cut off what remained of his shirt. She dunked the cloth into the water and began cleaning the gashes on Hiccup's back. Astrid knew that it probably didn't take near as long as it felt like, but the time crawled by slower than a gronckle who had just finished a twenty pound rock feast. However, soon Gothi finished her careful movements and dried Hiccup's back gently with a clean, dry cloth. After Hiccup's back had been cleaned to Gothi's standards, she walked over to her storage shelves and grabbed three rolls of bandages.

Stoick realized what she was about to do and walked over to Hiccup. When Gothi nodded at him, Stoick assumed what she wanted him to do and, fortunately for him, he guessed right. He gently grabbed Hiccup by his shoulders and moved him into a sitting position. Stoick tried not to become even more worried than he already was when Hiccup didn't even seem to react to what he was doing, or to what Gothi did the entire time she was cleaning his wounds. Once Gothi got back to Hiccup, she began to bandage his torso, making sure to be gentle but wrapping his ribs and whip wounds securely.

After she finished bandaging him, she motioned for Stoick to lay him back down. She then grabbed her walking stick and began writing in the sand that was in her hut. Stoick knew that neither he nor Astrid would be able to read the runes that she was writing, so he called out for Fishlegs to come into the hut.

"What did she write, Fishlegs?" Stoick asked, worry filling his tone.

"She said, 'Tell Fishlegs to come in here.'" Stoick just looked at Gothi as she wrote something else in the sand. "She says, 'Make sure to change his bandages daily and clean to prevent infection. Keep an eye on his head wound, if it starts to swell, ice it, but wait till he wakes up to see if he needs it iced for pain. That being said, when he wakes up, come get me to check for any other injures.'"

"Do you know when he will wake up?" Stoick had reasonable worry and right to ask this. He stared as Gothi wrote her response, anticipation filling his features.

"She says, 'I'm not sure. In all honesty, he is extremely lucky to be alive with the extent of his injuries." Stoick wasn't able to respond to this with words, just a sad expression written all over his face.

When Gothi looked at him and gave him a look that said he could leave if he was ready, Stoick picked Hiccup up. It scared him when Hiccup didn't even flinch when met with the sudden movement. Stoick gave Gothi a look of thanks and turned to leave. Astrid and Fishlegs moved out of his way. They looked at each other before leaving, their eyes showing that they were both wondering if their leader would ever truly recover from what Alvin put him through.

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 **Thanks for reading! See you guys next chapter!**


	2. The Recollection

**Hey everyone! Long time no write. I am so sorry for the long wait between chapters. I truly had no intention of making you guys wait this long, but time got away from me. Now, there were questions about where Toothless was and I answered them in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Shout-Outs!**

 **Guest: Yes, there will be an apology chapter, but it won't be in this chapter or the next one.**

 **JustANormalHTTYDFan: Toothless is mentioned, but not seen. However, he will be seen soon, trust me.**

 **Without further ado, here is the second addition to The Long Road.**

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Stoick sat down in front of the fireplace, right beside Hiccup. It had been a few hours since he had returned home from Gothi's and he had just finished eating what little bit his appetite allowed him to. He held his head in his hands as he tried to process what had happened that day.

He opened the door while carefully holding Hiccup as to not hurt him further. He gently laid him down on their kitchen table. He walked up the stairs as quickly as he could so that he wouldn't leave Hiccup alone for too long. He grabbed his son's bed, blanket, and pillow and carried them downstairs. Once Hiccup's bed was situated the way that Stoick believed was the best, he moved Hiccup from their table to his bed.

Stoick couldn't help but feel bad at the fact that Hiccup wasn't wearing a shirt, but, with the fact that he would have to clean his wounds and change his bandages, putting Hiccup back in a shirt just to remove it again seemed like extra pain to inflict on him.

He gently covered Hiccup up with his blanket, making sure that he was covered enough that he wouldn't be cold. Stoick just looked down at his son, wondering how the previous day had went so wrong. Hiccup had left that morning to go check on what the other Riders trained their terrors to do. Next thing he knew, Stoick was told by the Riders that Hiccup had been missing for some time, and later on they found Toothless, who confirmed that it was Alvin who kidnapped him.

"Why did this have to happen to you, Hiccup? Out of everyone who deserved this, you weren't even at the very end of the list," Stoick said this all to his unconscious son's form.

There was a knock at the door. Stoick almost jumped at the sudden noise. He wasn't expecting any visitors and he assumed that the Riders would know better than to disturb him right now. Either way, he walked over to door to see who was there.

When he opened it, he was surprised to see that it was Gobber standing there. Gobber must have seen the shock on his face because he started explaining why he was there.

"I saw you and the Riders land near Gothi's hut, which I knew was a bad sign. When you left and the other Riders didn't follow you, that confirmed my suspicions. So, I decided that I would wait a few hours to let you get situated and let the adrenaline run its course before I came over to check on you. That being said, mind if I come in?" Stoick stepped aside to allow Gobber enough space to enter his home.

When Gobber's eyes landed on Hiccup, he actually took a step back. Even though he couldn't see what exactly Hiccup's injuries were, the fact that Hiccup was asleep downstairs meant that something was really wrong.

"What happened?" Stoick was at a loss for words, having not spoken since after he laid Hiccup down. Nevertheless, he tried his best.

"Alvin happened. I don't quite know what exactly happened, all I know is, he was hurt badly."

Gobber seemed to accept this answer, and he went back to looking at Hiccup. It was at this point that Stoick had thought of a question to ask Gobber: "Where is Toothless? He wasn't there when we landed and he isn't here now. Where is he?" Stoick had reason to worry, wondering if Gobber was trying to figure out what had happened to his son's best friend. However, when Gobber responded, Stoick was dumbfounded.

"When you all left this morning, Toothless was worried. So, he started pacing. Now, everyone knew that Hiccup wasn't on Berk, but they didn't necessarily know that he was kidnapped. However, with Toothless pacing, the people began to worry. So, I did the best thing for the people. I led Toothless over to Hiccup's workspace in the stall and knocked him unconscious with Dragon Nip. He should wake up in a few hours."

Stoick could only think of one thing to say to this. "How did Dragon Nip keep him unconscious for this long?"

"I have been dosing him regularly over the course of today." Stoick's shocked expression was one to remember.

"I am amazed that he let you do that. I mean, Toothless is overprotective and-"

"And will probably hurt me once he wakes up," Gobber finished the sentence before Stoick could. The smallest of smiles graced Stoick's lips at the truth of what his best friend said. "Speaking of waking up, any word on when the lad will be up?"

Gobber soon realized that was the wrong thing to say when the small smile Stoick had disappeared. "Gothi isn't sure. She says that he's lucky to be alive."

Now it was Gobber's turn to be speechless. After all, Alvin only had Hiccup for a little over twelve hours. How could he have done all of that harm in that little bit of time. But Gobber learned a long time ago not to question the old lady.

As much as he wanted to stay, Gobber could sense that Stoick wanted to be alone with his son, which Gobber completely understood. So, he said one last thing before leaving. "Stoick, if you need anything, and I mean anything, do not hesitate to ask. I will be here faster than Snotlout running when he upset Hookfang."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you Gobber." That was all that was said. Once the door was closed, Stoick turned his attention back towards Hiccup. He knew he needed to check the head wound to see if it was swelling. When he put his hands on Hiccup's head, however, he heard the slightest of groans from his son. "Hiccup?" Stoick asked, almost in disbelief. After all, Gothi said he could be out for days or even weeks.

"Dad?" Again, this was said in the softest of voices.

"It's me, son. Please just open your eyes." Stoick was hoping that he wasn't just imagining this. However, every bit of doubt he had vanished when he saw the slightest flutter of Hiccup's eyelids. Stoick could barely contain his excitement when Hiccup's eyes were completely open

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 **Thanks for reading. See you guys in the next addition!**


	3. The Realization

**Hey everyone! I am so sorry for the wait, but here is the next installment in The Long Road. I know that this isn't the longest of chapters, but it is necessary. My plan for this story is to write two more chapters after this and then turn it into a non-chronological series of one-shots. I will put which part of the series it is from in the beginning of the one-shot and it will be request based if you guys want to request something. And the apology chapter will be coming up, just not in this chapter, just like Toothless will soon make an appearance.**

 **Anyway, this is a long enough Author's Note, so please enjoy this installment!**

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Stoick was overjoyed at the fact that Hiccup was awake. After all, he truly thought that it would be at least the next morning before he would be able to see the greens of his son's eyes. He was even more ecstatic when he heard Hiccup speak.

"Dad, is that you?" Hiccup's voice wasn't as quiet as it was a few seconds ago, but it still sounded dry and scratchy, probably because of the fact that he hadn't drunken anything in about a day. _I swear Alvin_ , Stoick thought, _I will get you for this._

"Yes, Hiccup, I'm right here." What concerned Stoick was the fact that Hiccup turned his head in the direction of him, but his eyes didn't seem to register the fact that he could see his father, who was sitting right next to him. He could see a slight bit of panic form in Hiccup's eyes as he asked his next question.

"Dad, I need to ask you something and I need you to answer it. Don't ask why until you answer my question. Are there any lights on in this room?"

It shocked Stoick to hear this question be asked out of all the other possible questions that Hiccup could've asked him. Stoick was trying not to show his own panic as he carefully contemplated the best way to answer this question without further worrying his son.

"Yes, the fireplace it lit. You are actually facing it right now." Stoick saw Hiccup sigh and close his eyes.

"Okay, so Alvin wasn't tricking me." Right after saying this, Hiccup's breathing began to become shallow. Stoick could only watch as Hiccup began to go into a panic attack.

"Calm down, Hiccup," Stoick said in as soothing of a voice as he could muster. "What did Alvin do?" Stoick had his suspicions, but he prayed to the gods that he was wrong.

Hiccup answered in quick, short breaths as his panic attack developed. "He threw m-m-me against, against a wall. I bla-blacked out. Nex-xt thing I-I knew, blac-ck was all I c-could see." At this point, Hiccup was breathing out more than he was breathing in.

Stoick understood what Hiccup was telling him, even though Hiccup couldn't finish his story. However, he had to put the order to register what had happened on hold; right now he needed to calm Hiccup. Stoick knew that Hiccup had to truly be hurting if he was showing his vulnerability; after all, with all of the bullying he had went through as a child, he never showed weakness or sickness unless it was truly bad. He tried to comfort him by picking him up, but as soon as he touched Hiccup's arm, his breathing worsened to an even shallower level, if it was possible.

So, he decided to do the one thing that always calmed Hiccup down when he would have bad dreams or get scared when he was a child. Even though it wasn't Stoick's favorite thing in the world to do, if singing would calm Hiccup down, then by Odin, Stoick would sing.

"The sky is dark, and the hills are white." Stoick paused and looked at Hiccup. His breaths were becoming slightly less shallow, but he was still panicking. So, in his deep voice, Stoick continued the song.

"As the Storm King speeds from the north tonight." Hiccup's breaths were becoming more even, but since he wasn't completely calm, Stoick didn't stop.

"And this is the song The Storm King sings, as over the world his cloak he flings." Despite the panicked look on his face, Hiccup's breathing had completely evened out.

"Sleep, sleep, little one sleep. He rustles his wings and gruffly sings, sleep, little one sleep." When Stoick looked down at Hiccup, all traces of panic were gone and he was fast asleep. Stoick sighed at the fact that he didn't get to talk to him more, but he knew Hiccup would be calmer after a good night's rest.

However, Stoick swore that night that Alvin would rue the day that he took away one of the things that Hiccup held most dear to him: his sight.

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 **See you guys next time!**


	4. The Explanation

**Hey guys! Here is the fourth installment of The Long Road. This chapter includes Toothless, as well as some interaction and appearances with other Berkians. Since there are no shout-outs, I'm just going to leave it here. I hope you enjoy "The Explanation."**

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Stoick stepped outside for a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn't want to leave Hiccup alone, but he knew that he needed to tell the Riders and the rest of Berk what had happened. However, that would have to wait until someone else, who Stoick trusted, could stay with Hiccup.

As if on cue, Gobber walked up the hill to Stoick's house, with an over excited Toothless by his side. That sight just made Stoick sadder. He knew that as much as Hiccup would want Toothless with him, Toothless could potentially scare him if Hiccup didn't know he was there. So, he went up to Gobber, trying to figure out how to explain what had happened.

"Here you go, Stoick," Gobber said, not noticing the sad look on the Chief's face, "one Night Fury." At this point, Toothless gave Gobber a look that could kill, and Stoick didn't blame him. After all, Gobber had drugged Toothless to keep him calm while Stoick and the Riders were off looking for Hiccup. Gobber then made eye contact with the Chief and he noticed that he had a look on his face that matched Stoick's expression during Hiccup's recovery after his fight with the Red Death. "What happened?" Gobber asked.

"He woke up." Gobber's face went from worried to excited in a blink of an eye, but Gobber knew that something else had to have happened, otherwise Stoick wouldn't be looking so sad.

"What else happened?" Gobber asked, not sure if he wanted his theory to be right or not.

"I don't know the full story about what Alvin did to him the entire time Hiccup was on Outcast Island, but Hiccup told me one thing: Alvin threw him against a wall. That injury," Stoick paused, not quite able to make himself go on. After all, it hurt him to have to explain what had happened to his son, his pride, while he was at a barbarian's mercy. "The head injury," Stoick continued, "caused for Hiccup to lose his sight."

Gobber was shocked at what he had heard. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew that Stoick wouldn't lie about something that happened to his son. He wanted to try to appear strong for the chief, but he wasn't so sure he could do it. "Is there anything at all I can do to help?"

Stoick hesitated before answering. "Even though I don't really want to leave, I need to tell the Riders about what happened. Can you sit with Hiccup while I'm gone?" Stoick's face was as close to pleading as Gobber guessed it ever had been.

"Yes, I will Stoick." Stoick gave him a look of pure gratitude and turned and began walking down the stairs. Gobber looked to his side where Toothless was, and saw how sad he looked. Gobber realized that he must be blaming himself for what had happened to Hiccup. After all, Toothless hadn't been there to protect Hiccup, but he couldn't really protect him, because Alvin had trapped him and left him behind on Berk. "Don't blame yourself, Toothless. There was nothing you could have done." Toothless gave him an unbelieving look and sighed. The two of them walked into the Haddock's house.

Gobber looked at Hiccup sleeping, wondering what was going on in that head of his. He watched as Toothless, knowing not to disturb Hiccup, laid down by the side of the bed farthest away from the fire. Gobber sat down where Stoick had been sitting minutes before.

"You know lad," Gobber began, speaking quietly so he wouldn't wake him, "the last time I saw you sleeping like this, was after you lost your leg. I'm so sorry that you had to go through this. I don't know everything that Alvin did to you, but I know about your sight. I just want you to know, you will always be welcome in the forge. No matter what. And I promise you this, me, your father, Toothless, and the Riders, will be here to help you on this long road to recovery. But for now, just rest. It can all wait until morning."

...

"Then I got him to go back to sleep and Gobber is sitting with him now." Stoick finished explaining what had happened to Hiccup to the Riders. They were sitting in the Mead Hall eating dinner when the Chief began to explain what had happened. Well, if you count picking at your food and swallowing a couple of bites as eating, that is. They were all speechless. What little appetite they had before was now gone. This wasn't easy news for any of them to take in; however, because they weren't looking at each other, none of them knew that it was Snotlout who was taking it the hardest.

"So just like that, he can't see?" Tuff asked, making sure that he understood what Stoick had told them.

"Yes, Tuffnut, that is what happened." Stoick looked at the Riders to see if they had any other questions. They had many, but the only one that was asked was from Astrid.

"When can we go visit him?" She looked at the Chief with almost begging eyes. Stoick knew that she cared for Hiccup, deeper than she would let people believe, but he answered her with the same answer he would have given anyone.

"Tomorrow morning. Right now he's sleeping and I don't want to have to wake him. Wait outside after breakfast and I will let you in if he is up and calm." The Riders gave him a look of understanding. Stoick then got up to leave, and they understood that as well. After all, it was probably one of the hardest things he had to do: leave Hiccup's side to come and tell them what had happened.

After he was gone, the Riders went back to sitting like they were before he got there, and sat in silence for a few minutes before they began to talk about what they had just learned.

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 **See you guys next time!**


	5. The Apologies

**Hey everyone! Here is the long awaited apology chapter, as you probably guessed by the name of the chapter. You guys have been asking for this chapter since chapter five of "An Unexpected Turn." So, I hope you guys enjoy it and make sure to read the author's note at the bottom for important information.**

 **Shout-Outs!**

 **Angel of the Honey Bees: Thank you so much! As for your question, as I assume many others are curious about as well, I was planning on keeping Hiccup blind. I was inspired to do something like in HTTYD 2 when Hiccup blindfolded Toothless and they flew in perfect sync with each other. Except this time, it will be Hiccup who can't see. So, he will get to ride Toothless again, he will just have to make adjustments. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Without further ado, here is chapter five.**

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The Riders all sat there in silence until one of them dared to break it.

"I can't believe it," Ruffnut said, her normal jokester side not in use after what they had just heard.

"Me either," Astrid replied. They had to let everything sink in. After all, they had just found out that their fearless leader, who always put himself in danger far before he let anyone else put even a toe in harm's way, was now blind. He was blinded at the hands of a madman, a barbarian who thought that he should hurt Hiccup if he refused to share information.

"This is all my fault," Fishlegs said guiltily. He was almost to the point of tears.

"Correction," Snotlout began, and everyone turned to face him, shocked by his guilty expression, "this is all _our_ fault."

Everyone was so shocked by what Snotlout had just said, but only Astrid could think of the right words to say. "Wow, you can finally admit that you did something wrong."

Snotlout was hurt by her words, but nobody could tell by the already downtrodden expression he was wearing. "What? It is."

"He's right, you know," Tuff said, serious as his sister. "We are all to blame for what happened. We got way too carried away about the competition. Hiccup tried to reel us back in, but we wouldn't give."

"I was the one who suggested that we even do a competition." Fishlegs truly was trying to get all of the blame for this. "I even had to add in the stupid wager of cleaning the winner's stable."

"You wouldn't have made it a competition if I hadn't been so eager to prove how much better I am than you guys. I was the one who really turned everything into a competition." Nobody could argue with what Snotlout was saying.

"You know," Ruff started to say, "he's right. We did turn everything into a competition, but it was always Snotlout and Fishlegs who took it the farthest." Astrid's eyes sent daggers to the other female Rider. "What? You know I'm right. We all get carried away, but it's Snotlout and Fishlegs who act like winning is a life or death situation."

"And it became that way for Hiccup." Everyone looked at Snotlout after he said those words. They all had the same questioning look on their faces. "Think about it. When Alvin began questioning him, it became a competition to see who could hold out the longest. Hiccup knew that if he lost, if he broke, Alvin would kill him the minute he did and gave out the information. And the wager that Alvin put on the line was the future of Berk."

The Riders were shocked at the truth of Snotlout's metaphor. Even though it was completely against his will, Hiccup had been in a competition, one far more serious than any of the exercises that the Riders had turned into competitions.

They were all thinking the same thing, but only Astrid could say it. "The question is, did he really win?" They all looked at each other and then sat in silence for the rest of their meal.

...

After another sleepless night, Stoick got up to tend to the fire. He knew that the light wasn't helping Hiccup, but he hoped that the warmth the fire gave would help him feel safe. Stoick sat in the chair next to Hiccup's bed and looked at his son, wishing that he could open his eyes and see that he was safe, rather than have to be told that he was.

Toothless was lying next to Hiccup's bed on the side opposite of Stoick. Even though he was tired, Toothless hadn't slept since entering the hut the night before. Stoick could tell how much Toothless wanted to interact with Hiccup, but, knowing about Hiccup's situation, he was worried that he would scare him or worse, hurt him. So, Toothless settled for guarding Hiccup by staying next to his bed, in case any dangers were presented to his resting rider.

It was only a few minutes after Stoick sat down when Hiccup woke up. His eyes opened hesitantly, but once they were open, he took a deep breath as what he saw didn't change. He heard Stoick shift next to him. "Dad?" Hiccup's voice was still weak, probably from the lack of water, but it was stronger than the day before.

"I'm right here son." Stoick held Hiccup's hand to show how close he was. Unlike the night before, when Hiccup went into a panic attack when Stoick tried to pick him up, Hiccup's body seemed to relax at the touch of his father's hand. "Do you need anything?"

Hiccup was quiet for a moment. "I would like some water. Maybe a little bit of food."

"I will go grab those for you. I'm letting go of your hand now, but I promise I'm not leaving the room." Hiccup nodded at his father's words. Stoick gently set down Hiccup's hand and began to get him what he asked for. He worked as quickly as he could, having some cold stew leftover from the day Hiccup got taken. Food rarely ever spoiled when left out, one of the very few good sides of living somewhere that cold. He also grabbed a cup and filled it with the water from the bucket that came from the well.

Once he got back to Hiccup's bed side, he set the food on the floor as he helped Hiccup sit up. Fortunately, he didn't have to change his bandages for a little bit, having done that while Hiccup was asleep. After Hiccup was comfortable, Stoick helped feed him his breakfast. He knew that Hiccup was badly hurt from his time with Alvin, but he also knew that, having lost his sight, he may have a hard time eating. Stoick grew worried as Hiccup didn't say anything but mumbles as Stoick asked if he wanted more or if he wanted a sip of water.

Hiccup got full before he was halfway through his soup and Stoick decided not to push him to eat anymore than he wanted to. He looked at his son and decided that it would be better to ask him now, since chances are his friends were about to be outside the Haddock's door.

"Hiccup," Stoick began carefully, it breaking his heart as Hiccup looked in his direction but not able to see him, "your friends want to visit you. Are you okay if they visit this morning?" Stoick watched as Hiccup decided on his answer.

"Yes." With that simple, one-word answer Stoick nodded. Soon remembering that Hiccup couldn't see that gesture, he responded.

"Okay. They might be here within the next few minutes." Hiccup nodded at his response and took a deep breath. Stoick knew that Hiccup must be exhausted, but he also knew that Hiccup would really like to visit with his friends.

As Stoick carried the bowl and cup back to the table, he heard a knock at the door. After he sat down the dishes, he opened the door to see the Riders standing there with hopeful looks on their faces.

"Hiccup, your friends are here." With that, the Riders walked in, and, upon seeing their leader sitting up in bed, they walked as fast as they could without running to get by him. Toothless moved to make room for them, but still stayed close, in the event that danger presented itself. However, Astrid soon noticed that all of the sudden noise became slightly overwhelming to Hiccup, so she put a finger to her mouth in a shushing fashion and began to speak.

"Hiccup, we are right here. All of us." She noticed him take a deep breath and attempt a smile. But, she realized that it didn't quite reach his eyes. "We also have something we want to say to you."

"We're sorry. We are so so sorry." Tuff looked at Hiccup after saying these words.

"It's not your fault. Alvin did this, not you guys." Hiccup's response, though completely Hiccup, still shocked everyone. After all, something very important to him had been taken, and it wouldn't even have been in danger had they not had the competition.

"But it is." Everyone turned toward Snotlout upon hearing him say those words. "Mainly mine and Fishlegs, but still all of ours. You tried to warn all of us and convince us to not make the stupid thing with the Terrors a competition. But we didn't listen, and now, you're hurt." Everyone was paying careful attention to not say 'blind' or anything to do with sight. "We are all very sorry."

"Guys," Hiccup began, and everyone looked at him, "I appreciate the apology. But, this isn't your fault. Yes, it happened, but, just like with any bad thing, we can't stay in the past and think about it. We have to move on. We have to think about the future. Staying in the past won't change anything."

With that, all of the Riders sighed internally. They felt as if a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. They would always feel responsible for what had happened. But, the fact that Hiccup had forgiven them, despite the fact that he claimed it wasn't their fault, had been the first step on the long road to their redemption.

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 **So, this pretty much ties up the story line from "An Unexpected Turn." From here on out I am planning on turning this story into a request based/when inspiration hits type of story. That being said, the requests do not have to be in chronological order. Just tell me what part of the franchise your request takes place in and I will include that in the beginning Author's Note of that chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed and see you guys next time.**


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